The Silent Willows
by Zoltack429
Summary: When Bambi's son Geno becomes hopelessly stuck in an extremely hostile forest, Bambi asks for help from an elite team of warrior deer known as the Silent Willows to rescue him. Rated T for violence, mild language, and disturbing content.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: **Some content may be disturbing. You have been warned.

* * *

**Synopsis:**

After the great fire, the southern forest which was once home to many animals in the forest is now desolate and crawling with predators including man.

A nefarious bachelor herd of stags, calling themselves Cerberus, is occupying the southeastern forest. Their insidious agenda includes kidnapping does and fawns from the north forest, and force them to live among their herd. Their notorious leader Maddox is bent on making the forest into his image where the strong survive and whomever he deems inferior shall die. Those who oppose him are brutally punished and often killed. He feels in order to have ultimate control of the forest he has to destroy the Great Prince and any of his heirs. He is currently assembling an army to invade the north forest.

The north forest is rich in life and free from most predators. All of the animals in the north forest live in harmony with one and another. There are two major bachelor herds called the Monarchs, and Nemesis.

The Monarchs along with the main herd are led by the Great Prince of the Forest, Bambi. The Monarchs help Bambi assist and protect the herd from danger. They have an elite team of "warrior stags" called the Elite Guard who advise and provide Bambi with protection during times of crises.

The elusive Nemesis bachelor herd is the most prestigious herd in the forest. They strongly believe in freedom and that every deer in the forest are equals. They will fight for their cause at any cost. Their leader is Supreme Chief Clo who is the oldest and wises stag in Nemesis. Unlike most bachelor herds, Nemesis has a complex hierarchy and ranking structure (Junior, Specialist, Master, Chief, and Supreme Chief). They too have an elite team of "warrior stags" called the Silent Willows.

The Silent Willows is a team of seven stags who are highly trained in special combat, survival, and tactical skills. They are called the Silent Willows because they use the strands of leaves off of willow trees as camouflage, and can trek through the forest without being detected by man, predators, or any other enemies. Their commander, Chief Blaze is a superior leader whose focus is mission accomplishment. Two bald eagles named Cornelius and Meryl help the Silent Willows to spot enemies from far away and to gather information. The Silent Willows have to hide their identities in order to protect their friends and family. Nobody knows who they are or where they live. To everyone else, they're a myth.

The Silent Willows are called to duty when Bambi's son Geno becomes lost deep inside the southern forest which they refer as "grey territory". However, Geno receives some unexpected help from Bambi's old rival Ronno who takes Geno to his herd that is hiding from Cerberus. Bambi and the Silent Willows have to journey across the forest which is riddled with enemies, traps and snares left by man, and predators. Once they find Geno and the rest of the herd, they proceed to escort everyone including Ronno out of the southern forest. However, they are spotted by a couple by spies who then tell Maddox their position. With his army assembled he decides to deploy all of his Cerberus fighters to intercept the escaping herd and to take control of the north forest. The Silent Willows are compelled to stop him no matter what.

* * *

**Prologue:**

"You're late! Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting here for you?" A voice in the shadows said to the stag.

"My apologies, you are very hard to find," the stag replied trying to see the creature who was talking to him.

"You can stop looking around for me, I will not reveal myself to you for good reason," the voice said. "What is your name?"

"My friends call me Raven, what is your name?" the stag asked. Of course Raven was not his actual name. It was a code name to protect his true identity. In fact the whole sentence he uttered was code to ensure "the voice in the shadows" was talking to the right deer.

"I have many names. For now you can call me Friend," the voice said.

"Alright, Friend, what information do you have for me?" the stag said making a vigilant look around the forest.

"The deer from the east are extremely loyal to Him," Friend said. "I do not dare speak His name out here, but you know who I am referring to. These deer are led by a stag called Malachi, and he is the one who runs Cerberus's kidnapping operations even though he's not a Cerberus himself. Malachi gives Him fawns that are torn away from their mothers. When they are given to Him they are forced to live a life of torment and violence. In turn it makes them aggressive and strong fighters. That is one of your problems; the other is He is massing for an attack. I'm sure He means to invade the north forest and try to take control again."

"Do you know how many He has right now?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but it appears to be in the hundreds," Friend said.

"Do you know where He is?"

"That remains a mystery. His second in command has been overseeing their plan."

"What about Falcon have you seen him?"

"Occasionally; he is no longer loyal to Cerberus and he is keeping a herd of deer in hiding. I guess it's better to live freely in grey territory than to be slaves. I don't have his exact location, but it seems to me that he is living southwest of Cerberus's territory."

"Just because he is no longer loyal to Cerberus anymore doesn't redeem him from the crimes he had committed," Raven said.

"I agree, but you must go now and tell your boss what I have said. Good luck," Friend said. Raven could hear his footsteps as he left. Raven turned around and started heading towards the northern forest.

Raven was walking quietly through the forest in order to not draw any attention to himself. He had no idea if there were any others in the forest watching him, but in fact there were. Raven continued to walk forward keeping his eyes, ears, and his nose open to detect any threats. He was in the central forest; a forest that many dare not to travel through alone. He was alone though; he had to be in order to remain discrete. He had important information that he had to tell his companions from the Nemesis herd in the north forest. Raven is not a Nemesis officially, but he helps them gather information on their enemies; a spy if you will and it is a very dangerous job. If Cerberus were to capture him they would torture and abuse him to death. Nemesis spies can be stags or does; anyone who is willing to help and committed to see an end to violence. Spies do everything in their power to avoid capture, but the unlucky ones are never heard or seen from again.

Raven stopped and became frightened when he saw another stag emerge from the dense bushes in front of him. This stag did not look friendly at all and he had the familiar Cerberus mark on his chest. Anyone who crosses a stag like this knows they are in serious trouble especially when they are alone. More Cerberus stags appeared and surrounded Raven.

"What are you doing out here, and all alone?" the head Cerberus stag said in an insincere and malevolent manner.

"Oh, thank goodness you are here," Raven said with a faint smirk. "I am lost and I can't seem to find my way out of this forest."

"You can stop the foolery you Nemesis scum," the head Cerberus stag sneered. "That's right; we know who you are and who you work for. So you can stop the act and tell us what you know, and you can tell us who has been giving you this information. I suggest that you answer truthfully; that is if you value your life."

"Nemesis?" Raven asked shaking his head. "No, no, you got that all wrong. I am not a part of the Nemesis herd. I don't even bear their symbol see," Raven said turning his neck.

"It is very unwise to insult our intelligence; very unwise indeed. All of you Nemesis spies are all the same pleading for your lives when you know the end is near. You're pathetic."

"Please sir, I have no idea what you are talking about I am no spy. I have simply lost my way and I'm trying to get home."

"Alright, if its home you want to go back to we will escort you back, and if you try to escape we will kill you."

Raven looked at the head Cerberus stag for a moment, but in the corner of his eye he saw his chance to escape and took it. The Cerberus stags pursued him and were gaining on him quickly. Raven ran north frantically crying for help, but he was too far inside the central forest, and nobody from the north could hear him. He continued to run as fast as he could, but a Cerberus stag caught up with him and knocked him to the ground.

"Kill him," the head Cerberus stag commanded the others.

"Wait, wait, please!" were the last words Raven cried out.

* * *

"Silent Willows, atten-tion!" Chief Blaze yelled. All of the Silent Willows snapped to attention by erecting their necks and standing as straight as possible. They were all lined up next to each other with the higher ranks to the left of the lowers. Chief Blaze stood in front facing them while being at the position of attention as well. Then Supreme Chief Clo entered onto the small glade they were standing in.

"Alright listen up Willows I have a very important mission for you," Supreme Chief Clo said in a confident sincere tone. "Our informant Raven was due back here last night, and he never made it. Meryl and Cornelius spotted a small group of Cerberus stags wondering the border of the southern meadow and the central forest. He could be with them, although we're not exactly sure. He was working on a lead between a deer named Malachi who we believe is the ringleader of Cerberus's kidnapping operations and Maddox. If we can get Malachi then we have a pretty good chance of finding Maddox. However, without Raven's information we still haven't been able to confirm these claims nor have we received a positive identity of Malachi. You job is to intercept and neutralize the Cerberus stags, find out what happened to Raven, and gather up as much information as you can on Malachi. Is that understood?"

"Boo-yah sir!" The Silent Willows responded.

"Outstanding! Chief Blaze, make sure you leave one Cerberus stag alive for questioning. Once you are done, do with him however you please. Now get you team ready and move out immediately."

"Yes sir!"

"Good luck to you all, come back safely," Clo said before he turned around and marched out of the glade.

* * *

**Foreshadowing: **

"Why are you Nemesis stags pursuing me?" Malachi said. "I'm not a bad deer, I'm a happy deer, you see? It is inevitable that Cerberus will become the new order for all the deer in the forest. Why fight it?"

...

"You don't know cruelty until you have seen your own mother be abused and tortured by these... monsters," Nello said beginning to weep. "They indiscriminately killed my friends if they felt that one of us disobeyed them. So don't you dare tell me what I think they deserve!"

...

"What was that noise?" Geno asked.

"That my young friend," the old hare said. "Is them. Are you frightened?"

"Yes," Geno whispered.

"You should be. I know what hunts you."

...

"That's the kind of blood that runs through your veins Raz," Chief Blaze said. "The blood of a warrior, and I know your father would be proud of you for following in his footsteps."

* * *

Author's Notes: The Silent Willows are back! I am revamping the entire story to make it more exciting, touching, and it's going to be a little more on the dark side. Some things you are going to read, you will tell yourself "that's messed up!" However, what I want you to take away from this story is that where there is evil, there is good. Evil prevails sometimes, but if the good is strong, it will find a way to defeat evil. Now that the semester is over, I'm going to really concentrate on making this story better. I hope you will enjoy. I should have the next chapter up by the end of this week.


	2. Chapter 2

**PART I: The New Order**

**Chapter 1: Escape**:

Early in the morning, on a summer's day, a doe mother from the south forest whose name shall remain unknown was frantically making her way up north with her two fawns Nello and Membo. Two years ago, the southern forest was ravage by the great fire. While few things grew, the majority of this forest was desolate with life and swarming with dangerous predators such as wolves, cougars, and bears. Men also frequent this forest setting up traps and snares that litter the ground. There is a bachelor herd of deer that resides in this forest that also have insidious agendas. They call themselves Cerberus. Cerberus is led by their notorious leader Maddox and his second in command Nero. Cerberus has their own herd of deer that they accumulated throughout time by kidnapping does and fawns who originally lived in the north forest. This herd of deer is staying in this forest against their will and is severely oppressed by Cerberus. Indeed, this is the most dangerous forest unlike the northern forest which is rich in life and free from most predators.

Before the doe and her two fawns can reach the north forest they have to cross the southern meadow. This meadow is vast and anyone can easily be spotted in it. The wisest animals will avoid the southern meadow at all cost unless they felt it was absolutely necessary to cross. The mother deer felt it was necessary as she was desperately trying to get away from Cerberus who was perusing her and her children. They continue to flee with good reason. Anyone who attempts to escape Cerberus is severely punished and often killed.

Once they cross the southern meadow, however, they still have to deal with miles of dense forest that lay before them to reach the north forest. This forest is where most of mans traps and snares are located, and to be caught in one certainly spells doom. More things are alive in this central forest, but it is not thriving like its northern neighbor. Most animals will avoid this forest as well.

The fawns were starting to become fatigued from the miles of trekking through the southern forest and meadow. Their mother had to constantly reassure them that they were getting closer to their destination. In fact the mother deer was exhausted herself, but knew salvation was near and didn't want to give up.

Suddenly she heard a noise. It was a group of male deer approaching her and her children from the south. It was Cerberus, and they were rapidly gaining on them. The mother deer whispered to her children to run as fast as they can to the north. She was planning on running towards the east to lure the Cerberus group away from her children.

"You must go. As fast as you can, and don't look back," she told her children who became increasingly frightened. They did not want to separate from their mother, but she knew if she didn't draw the enemy away then her children may not survive. She looked at them one last time.

"Go. Now!" she yelled as she started running to the east. Both fawns darted away to the north. The Cerberus stags were able to catch the doe and were taunting her.

"What should we do with this one, sir?" a Cerberus member asked his leader Nero.

"I believe you know the answer to that," replied Nero with a devilish smile.

Nello and Membo never saw their mother again as they continued to run north. They ran far, but Nello tripped on a branch and fell to the ground. Membo ran back after him.

"You have to get up brother! They're coming for us," he said frantically trying to get his brother to hurry back up on his feet. It was too late, by the time Nello stood up there were four stags from Cerberus surrounded them.

"Going somewhere?" sneered one of the stags. Both fawns were frozen with fear and didn't answer back.

"Those who try to escape the southern forest will bear the penalty of death," snarled another stag. Unbeknownst to all of them a bald eagle landed on a tree branch above silently watching them.

"What should we do with them?" A Cerberus stag asked their leader.

"We take them back and let the Master decide."

The Cerberus stags stopped taunting the fawns when their attention was drawn from a noise of a twig breaking behind them.

"What was that?" said one stag.

"I don't know. Why don't you go check it out," said another stag; the leader. Everyone including Nello and Membo were watching intently as the stag assigned to the task went to investigate the noise.

"I don't see anything," he said after a moment of eerie silence. Then a louder noise sounded behind them. As they all looked over to investigate, the stag disappeared into the darkness without a sound. The rest of the group didn't realize he was gone until they all looked back. Bewildered, they started asking each other where he went and called out his name several times.

"Spread out and find him," the leader of the group commanded the others. The remanding three stags split up to search for their missing comrade. Nello and Membo were too frightened to even move a muscle. As the search continued, another noise was heard behind them and as they turned to the sound another stag disappeared into the darkness. The remaining two stags were still investigating the noise, not realizing that their other comrade disappeared. Finally, they turned around again and saw that he was missing. The two remaining stags became frightened along with the two children.

"What is going on? What kind of trick is this?" asked the commander. Right after he said that, he heard a noise just to the left of him behind a tree. Once he turned his head slowly to investigate, an entity rapidly arose and attacked him. This entity had antlers, but it did not look like a deer at all. It forced the Cerberus stags head into the ground knocking him unconscious. The other Cerberus stag was soon subdued by another entity right after. The two fawns looked on in horror as it appeared to them that the trees beside them had come alive and had attacked the stags. Compelled with fear, they both quickly ran north again, never looking back. As they ran away, the creatures that had saved their lives along with the bald eagle stood still and watched them until they were out of sight.

* * *

**Preview to next Chapter:**

"Alright, you children go off and play now," Faline told them. Faline then turned towards Rolla. "It saddens me that they may never play in the forest we use to live in."

"Indeed. Our home was so beautiful before the fire. Now it's filled with more danger than you can possibly imagine. What's worse is deer killing other deer."

"Do not mention those savages to me, it sends chills down my back."

"As long as we have Nemesis and the Monarchs to protect us we will be safe."

"You call being kidnapped safe? The kidnappings are occurring more frequently Rolla, and what has Nemesis or the Monarchs done? No, my dear Rolla, our world is still just as dangerous as it ever was, and if we let our guard down for one instant it could mean the end of our lives or our freedom."


	3. Chapter 3

During the same morning, in the north forest, Faline was walking towards the north meadow with her two children Geno and Gurri. Gurri would always be excited to go to the meadow while her brother Geno didn't share the same enthusiasm.

"Can we do something else besides going to the meadow today?" Geno asked his mother.

"What would you like to do? What else is there to do?"

"Anything besides going to the meadow," Geno snickered.

"And what is wrong with going to the meadow? Your friends Boso and Lana will be there. Don't you like them?

"Boso still won't forgive me for what happened to him."

"There is nothing to forgive Geno, these things happen. We would like to think that we live in a perfect world, but our world is filled with danger," Faline explained to him. "Lana is still nice to you, isn't she?" Faline asked after a moment of silence.

"Geno loves Lana," said Gurri smiling.

"I do not, we are just friends," he said in denial. In fact, Geno really cares about Lana, but her brother Boso doesn't like them being together. Boso often questions Geno's ability to be the next Great Prince of the Forest and relentlessly teases him.

Faline and her children made it to the north meadow where all the other deer gather to socialize or to graze on the grass. All of the fawns would get together and play. The stags would be in their own group conversing or sparing with each other.

In the north forest there are two different bachelor herds; the Monarchs, and Nemesis. The Monarchs are led by Bambi who assumed the title Great Prince after his father died last winter. Among the Monarchs is the Elite Guard who protects and advise Bambi during times of crisis. The Elite Guard are trained in special tactics that where leaned by the old Great Prince. These tactics including staying silent and out of sight when trekking through the dense forest. They also possess advance combat and survival skills than regular Monarch warriors.

The elusive Nemesis herd is the most prestigious and the most difficult bachelor herd any stag can join. Their belief that everyone is equal and entitled to freedom compels them to defend all the deer in the forest against any enemy. The leader of Nemesis is Supreme Chief Clo who is the oldest and wises stag in the herd. Nemesis has their own group of elite warriors just like the Monarchs. This group of elite fighters is called the Silent Willows who are highly trained in special tactics, combat, and survival skills. Since no one knows who they are or almost never see them, the Silent Willows are considered a myth to everyone else in the forest.

Faline and the children met with Rolla and her children Boso and Lana in the meadow.

"Good morning Faline, how are you today?" Rolla asked with a smile.

"I'm doing well, thank you," Faline replied. During their conversation the children were staring at each other. Geno would look at Lana and then look away. Lana and Gurri were both smiling at each other, but Boso had a blank look in his face.

"Alright, you children go off and play now," Faline told the children, and they did what they were told. Faline then turned towards Rolla. "It saddens me that they may never play in the forest we use to live in."

"Indeed. Our home was so beautiful before the fire. Now it's filled with more danger than you can possibly imagine. What's worse is deer killing other deer."

"Do not mention those savages to me it sends chills down my back."

"As long as we have Nemesis and the Monarchs to protect us we will be safe."

"You call being kidnapped safe? The kidnappings are occurring more frequently, and what has Nemesis or the Monarchs done? No, my dear Rolla, our world is still just as dangerous as it ever was, and if we let our guard down for one instant it could mean the end for us."

All four children started walking together towards the other children that were playing in the meadow. Boso bluntly left them and started talking with the other children. They were poking fun of and laughing at Geno.

"He's going to be a Great Prince? He's so small," they were telling each other.

"Don't listen to them, they are just jealous," Lana told Geno.

"Jealous of what?"

"That you will be a Great Prince someday, and they will have to follow your orders." Gurri blurted out.

"How can I become a Great Prince when no one respects me?" Geno asked looking at Lana, suddenly Boso interrupted and snarled at Geno.

"I thought I told you that I don't want you getting near my sister!"

"We were just talking," Geno explained.

"Yeah, well not anymore, my sister is not interested in cowards. Come on Lana," Boso commanded. While they both starting to walk away, Lana looked at Geno and apologized to him. Geno stood for a moment and then started to walk west towards the tree-line.

"Where are you going brother?" Gurri asked.

"I need to be by myself for a while, is that alright? I am sick of everyone." Although Gurri looked shocked at her brother's remark, she was not surprised to hear it and thought it would be best to give him his space. Boso and Geno use to be really close friends until Boso was attacked by a fox early in the spring. Geno tried to help him, but the damage had already been done to Boso. Boso was saved by Bambi who had been watching them from afar. Boso sustained many wounds, but survived. Ever since then hatred started to grow between him and Geno. Geno continued to walk to the west, left the meadow, and started headed towards the river.

As the morning continued Faline and Rolla were talking to each other near the south tree-line. Rolla was curious to know where Bambi was, but Faline didn't know.

"It has been too long since the two of you seen each other, I wonder what he is doing?" Rolla said.

"I'm sure he is just busy with everything, he has an important job to do." Faline explained.

"But it is not good for Geno to not see his father often. Boso has already begun to spend more time with his father. If Geno doesn't start spending time with his father it could really damage him." Rolla replied.

"Are you implying that there is something wrong with Geno?" Faline asked being puzzled by what Rolla had said. "You know Geno and Boso haven't been getting along lately after what happened during the spring,"

"I know and I try to tell Boso that it wasn't Geno's fault, those two were like brothers, and I wasn't implying anything I was…" Rolla stopped because she saw something very disturbing. Two fawns emerged from the tree-line. This caught Faline's attention as well. It was Nello and Membo. They have finally made it to the north forest, but were very exhausted and could barely walk.

"Oh my goodness!" Faline cried.

Faline and Rolla looked at each other then started running towards the fawns. The commotion attracted the attention of everyone else in the meadow, including the stags. The two fawns were walking very slowly. Unable to keep moving Nello fell to the ground exhausted and his brother Membo collapsed shortly after. Faline was the first to make contact with them. She was overwhelmed with shock to see the poor condition these two fawns were in.

"What happened? Are you two alright? Where is your mother? Oh, you poor things," Faline said. She lay beside them to comfort them and to calm them down. One of the stags from the Monarch herd approached.

"What happened? Are they okay?" he calmly asked Faline.

"I don't know what happened to them. They just appeared from the tree line."

"Can they speak? Can you ask them what happened?"

"I don't think they can, they are so exhausted and frighten. We can only assume that they came from the southern forest," Faline told the stag.

"Indeed. Well, when they get better can you find out how they escaped?" the stag asked.

"Oh course," Faline replied. The stag walked away to the east where all the other stags gather.

"Are you going to take care of them mother," Gurri asked.

"Absolutely, they can be friends for you and Geno. Besides, you and Geno are big enough now where you don't need me as much as you use to," Faline replied as she notice that Geno was missing and asked Gurri where he went to.

"I don't know he started walking towards the river," Gurri replied.

"Can you go find him for me so he can meet his new friends," Faline asked. Gurri nodded and started walking towards the Pine River. The Pine River is large and flows through the central and southern forest until it drains into the Great Lake.

"Where am I?" Membo asked as he was starting to wake up.

"You're going to be alright. You are in the north forest," Faline replied. Membo looked up at Faline and thought she was his mother.

"Mother, is that you?"

"I am not your mother, but I have elected myself to take care of you two. Do you remember what happened? What are your names?" Membo looked forward as his mind was flooded with many memories and told Faline everything that happened to him and his brother.

"The trees... the trees started to come to life, they…" Membo feel asleep again before he could finish.

"Well that's the strangest thing I've ever heard in my life," Rolla exclaimed.

"Do you mind watching them for a while?" Faline asked Rolla. Faline wanted to go tell the stag what had happened to Membo and Nello.

"Of course, but return soon in case one of them decides to wake up again."

"I will, thank you," Faline took off towards the east where all of the Monarch stags gather. She recognized the stag that talked to her earlier and approached him. She told him everything that Membo told her.

"Thank you," said the stag.

"Do you know what any of that could mean?" Faline asked. The stag shook his head.

"No, but it is possible that they were both delirious, they had a long journey for sure," he said.

"Will you tell this to Bambi? Where is he by the way?" Faline asked.

"He's away right now, but I can assure you we will get to the bottom of this."

"Thank you," Faline walked away and started heading back towards the meadow again. When she return she found Membo and Nello with Rolla watching them as promised, but Geno and Gurri were still missing.


	4. Chapter 4

Geno had finally made his way to the Pine River and stood at the edge quietly to be alone with his thoughts. "I didn't choose who my father was going to be. I don't want to be a Great Prince when nobody else thinks I should. I am not special in any way, and I am not a leader." Geno would also think about his father, and why he doesn't come to visit him as often as the other fathers do with their children. "He is probably very disappointed in me and doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

Geno would focus on the sound of the water. It was soothing for him to hear, and what was most special about his place near the river was nobody else knew where it was. Once Geno felt he was calm enough, he began walking back to the east towards the meadow. After walking silently for a few moments he then heard a rustling in the bushes. He stopped and stared with his ears pointed strait up in order to detect what was making that noise. Then it became very clear what it was, a fox. Geno fell to the ground as quickly as he could without making a sound. He waited for a moment trying to listen to any noises that the fox made, but it was silent. He was startled when his sister Gurri appeared and asked him what he was doing.

"There's a fox out there, didn't you see it?" Geno asked.

"I didn't see any fox," Gurri replied. Geno then stood up and was bewildered when he saw nothing in the bushes anymore.

"I swear there was a fox over there in the bushes."

"Well mother wants you to come back to the meadow. There are these two fawns that are from the southern forest that she wants you to meet," Gurri said.

"I was on my way back…"

Geno was abruptly interrupted. He was being attacked by the fox. The fox grabbed onto the top of Geno's neck, and was scratching him with his hind claws. Geno was bucking and rolling desperately in an attempt make the fox let go. Geno fell onto his back and the fox let go when he was struck in the abdomen by Geno's haunches.

Geno stood up quickly and yelled "Run away Gurri! Get out of here!"

Gurri turned around and started running away which attracted the attention of the fox. Geno shouted at the fox so that it would be focused on him instead.

"Over here! Over here!"

Geno turn around and started running west towards the river. The fox pursued and was gaining on him quickly. When Geno reached the river he did not hesitate to jump in. The fox on the other hand stopped dead in its tracks and was watching Geno float on the surface. Geno's intention was to get on the other side of the river, but the current was too powerful. Geno was frantically swimming to the riverbank, but found himself in rapids. He was relentlessly being struck by rocks and was being forced underwater by the current. His head was then struck hard on a rock and he became fully unconscious.

Gurri finally made her way back into the meadow and raced up to her mother. "Mother! Mother!" she shouted.

"What is it? Calm down," Faline said looking very worried about what was happening.

"It's Geno… a fox attacked him near the river," Gurri said trying to catch her breath. Faline gasped in fright. A small group of Monarch stags overheard the conversation.

"We will go find him," one of the stags said to Faline.

"Please hurry! Gurri go with them so you can show them where he is," Faline shouted. Faline had to stay behind to watch Membo and Nello who were still sleeping.

Gurri led the stags to where Geno had been attacked by the fox. The scent of the fox was still fresh, but it was nowhere in sight. Geno's sent could be detected as well. The stags followed the sent which led them to the edge of the river bank. They soon realized that he must have jumped into the river to escape. They ran down the river's edge trying to locate him, but they were soon approaching the southern boundary which they were forbidden to go in.

"Do you see him?" One of the stags asked another.

"No, maybe he got across."

"In this river? There's no way. Even I couldn't make it across if I tried."

"What should we do then?"

"I don't think there's anything we can do. Even if he is still alive, if he went into the southern forest he chances of survival are none."

"Alright then, we need to get back and tell the Great Prince what happened and see what he wants to do."

The stags turned around and started heading north-west towards Big Rock which is home to the Great Prince and the Elite Guards. Gurri overheard their entire conversation and hurried back to the meadow to tell her mother what had happened. Nello and Membo were finally up and about eating grass. They still wouldn't say much though, but nobody expected them to talk after knowing what they had been through. Faline was anxiously waiting for Gurri to return with news about Geno.

Gurri entered into the meadow once again to find her mother. She walked slowly towards her with a sorrowful look.

"Well, where is he? What happened? Is he alive?" Faline asked. Gurri paused for a moment and then lifted her head up to speak.

"He's lost mother, we don't know where he is, he jumped into the river," Gurri said as a tear ran down her cheek.

"This can't be. My poor Geno, this can't be. He can't be gone," Faline said as she started weeping.

Rolla and her children were shocked to hear the news, including Boso who was now overwhelmed with guilt. He had been Geno's friend since they were very young. After hearing about his death, he now regrets treating Geno so poorly. All of the deer in the herd and all of the other animals in the forest mourned for Geno when they heard about the news.

The Monarch stags who tried to locate Geno in the river made their way to Big Rock, but they were stopped by a guard.

"I'm ordered not to allow anyone up the rock without proper authorization which none of you possess," the Monarch guard said in an almost proud manner.

"I bring important news to the Great Prince so if you don't mind please get out of our way," the lead Monarch stag said.

"The Great Prince can't be bothered right now."

Another stag appeared walking down the rock. He was the leader of the Elite Guards and was wondering what all the commotion was all about.

"They say they bring important news to the Great Prince, but I was told he didn't want to be bothered right now sir."

"What news do you bring?" the Elite Guard asked the lead Monarch stag.

"It's about his son. He fell into the river and he could be lost in the southern forest sir."

The Elite Guard let them through and escorted them up the hill. On top of the hill there was much activity going on. Everyone was trying to figure out how Nello and Membo escaped from the southern forest. Most of them thought it was a miracle while others thought some strange force was at work. The Great Prince, Bambi, was standing at the edge of the rock overlooking the northern forest. He too was trying to sort out what had happen to Nello and Membo. The head Elite Guard along with the Monarch stags approached him.

"Excuse me sir, sorry to bother you, but I have someone here who you may want to listen to."

Bambi turned around and looked at them for a moment before speaking "yes, what is it?"

"It's about your son sir," the Monarch stag said. "Geno... he was being chased by a fox and he jumped into the river."

"Sir, my team is ready we can go after him and get him before he goes too deep into grey territory," the head Elite Guard said.

Bambi thought to himself for a moment. It was a tough decision to make. Even if Geno was still alive would he risk sending others who may never return themselves?

"Are you sure your team can get him out if he is still alive?" Bambi asked.

"Absolutely positive sir, Geno is your heir and we sore an oath to protect both of you. We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we don't at least try to find him."

"Very well," Bambi said.


	5. Chapter 5

**WARNING: Some content may be disturbing.**

* * *

Geno woke up on the side of a riverbank coughing and wheezing. He stood up and instantly became frightened. He had no idea where he was and his surroundings were very strange. First, he noticed that the sounds of birds were not present at all. The trees barely had a few leaves on each of their branches. The smell of the air was foul from a nearby bog. He started looking around to see if he can find something that looked familiar to him, but all he could see were dead trees and bushes. He looked down and saw that there was barely some grass, but no flowers. Not knowing what else to do, Geno started walking slowly. He knew if he followed the river upstream that he could get back home. However, the forest he was in was so dense, walking through it was going to be quite the challenge.

After walking for a few moments Geno was startled by the sound of a hoarse voice that wasn't pleasant to hear at all.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" an old hare asked. The appearance of the hare frightened Geno who was forcing himself to mind his manners to not stare. The rabbit was badly deformed. Most of his right ear was missing, he had no pigment in his right eye, and more than half of his face was missing as well. The hare hopped on a limp, and had a pungent foul odor.

Geno finally worked up enough courage to respond to the old hare and stuttered nervously "I'm sorry to have disturbed you sir, but…"

"You're not from around here are you? I can always tell," the hare said. He then began to chuckle, but this was not a jolly chuckle. It was a sinister laugh fill with much agony and fear.

"No, I'm from the north," Geno whispered.

"You don't say? I never really cared about you northerners. You are selfish, greedy, arrogant, and above all else… cowards," the hare said chuckling again. The hare could sense that his appearance was bothering Geno. "Does my appearance offend you young deer?"

"No," Geno responded. Of course it was a lie. Geno's mother had always taught him to be polite to others no matter how they act or appear.

"The great fire came quickly and without warning. Before I knew it I saw my mother, my father, my sisters, and my brothers being swallowed by the flames. I can still hear their screams in my head. Their cries for help," the old hare said laughing again. "I can still smell their charred flesh and fur. Only me and my brother survived, but as you can see I was badly burnt. The fire left me with no sense of smell, and taste. I am blind in my right eye, and hearing sound has been a challenge for me when before I could hear just about everything."

Geno paused for a moment, puzzled about why the old hare found it amusing to witness his family's suffering. "Can you tell me how to get out of here?"

The old hare laughed and said "out? The only way out of here young deer is by death. It is impossible to get out of here alive. Many have tried before, but they all perished from predators. I'm afraid you're stuck here for the rest of your life."

Geno shook his head in disbelief. "No, there must be a way out of here even if you don't know the way."

"Trust me little deer, there is no way out, and if that bothers you then I suggest you find a way to end your life quickly," the old hare said laughing, but his laughter was interrupted by a loud howling noise echoing through the forest. The old hare smiled because he knew what it was, but Geno never heard the sound before and it frightened him.

"What was that noise?" Geno asked anxiously.

"That young deer was them."

"Who's them?"

"Are you frightened?" the old hare asked.

"Yes," Geno whispered.

"You should be I know what hunts you. I've seen them before. These beasts killed my only surviving brother. They pounced on him, and ripped his head and his extremities apart. They feasted on his entrails, and what was left of him besides his bones was picked clean by the crows," the old hare chuckled.

"How can you laugh at that?" Geno exclaimed looking for a way to run.

"Oh you can't escape them young deer. You might as well let them kill you. I am ready to die how about you? Let them come!" the old hare laughed hysterically.

Geno had enough and started running away as fast as he could in whatever direction seemed easiest. He could still hear the old hare laughing until he was finally far away to hear nothing but silence. However, Geno could not go any further because he was surrounded by steep cliffs. Not knowing what else to do, he frantically started crying for help. There had to be someone out there who could help him he thought. Geno then heard a terrifying screaming from the direction he just came. The old hare must have feel victim to whatever creature he was referring to. This frightened Geno even more, and he was desperate to find any possible escape routes, but all he found were dead ends. He then heard a noise behind him and he froze with fear. He slowly turned his head to see what it was. He saw sharp jagged teeth from a hungry mouth, and glowing malevolent eyes. The creature looked like a fox, but it was much bigger and its fur was darker. The creature then gave off a terrifying growl at Geno.

Suddenly, something jumped out behind and over Geno, and it charged the wolf. It was a stag. Geno dove into cover to hide. The stag used his antlers to impale the wolf through the chest, but as soon as it was subdued more wolves surrounded him. One wolf leaped into the air to get on top of the stag's back, but the stag turned, and was able to inflict a mighty blow to the wolf's chest with his hind hooves. Another wolf charged right up in front of the stag in order to bite him on the neck. The stag reared up and came down on the wolf with its hooves with tremendous force. The remaining wolves surrounded the stag again growling and snarling at him.

"Well come on! I don't have all day!" the stag shouted.

The remaining wolves after seeing what happened to their comrades scattered away. Geno was still in his hiding place trying to slow his breathing. He looked around to see if the coast was clear. He could see nothing except for trees and bushes. He was then startled again when he heard the stag's voice.

"You can come out now, it's safe," the stag said. Geno hesitated for a moment. "Look kid, you can either come with me or you can stay here and be eaten by wolves.

"Is that what they are called?" Geno asked silently.

The stag starred at him for a moment and said "what are you doing out here anyways? This is not the place for children. You can get yourself killed."

"I'm lost sir, and I don't know where I am."

"Well, the herd is not far away, I can take you there."

Geno emerged from his hiding spot and looked up to the stag who gave him a blank stare. Despite having many scars and scuffs the stag was attractive. He stood with pride and projected a high level of confidence. He had eight points on his antlers, green eyes, and a brownish-grey coat with white markings. "What is your name young one?" he asked.

"Geno."

"I'm Ronno. Come, I will take you to my herd, but we must be quiet. So step where I step, do exactly as I do, and do as you're told. If you need to talk, please whisper. We are in a very dangerous place and it is not safe to linger. Once we reach the herd, it is important for you not to wonder off. Do you understand?"

They started to walk deeper into the southern forest. Geno was being very careful to step where Ronno was stepping and moved the way he moved.

"How did you get into this forest anyways?" Ronno asked silently.

"I was being chased by a fox. It chased me to the river and I jumped in. I feel asleep and when I woke up I was in this strange place." Geno replied.

"This is not a strange place. This use to be our home before the great fire came," Ronno said. He paused for a moment before he spoke again wondering where Geno was from. "You must be from the north forest, because there are certainly no foxes around here anymore. What we have is far worse."

"Like those wolves?"

"Yes, but there are other things even more foul then wolves that wonder these woods. There are even deer around here that will kill their own kind. Surely your parents have told you about them."

"My mother always would tell me that it is not in our nature to kill anything. Not even our own kind."

Ronno stopped walking and turned to face Geno. "Well I don't mean to be rude, but she's wrong. You see there is this thing called hate; the opposite of love. When you love someone you do nice things for them; you would even sacrifice your life for them. Whereas hate makes you do evil things like killing your own kind because maybe other folks didn't treat you kindly and the only way to make yourself feel better is to watch them suffer."

"Are you one of those deer?" Geno asked in a broken voice.

Ronno looked at him for a moment, and turned around. "Come, we are almost to my hideout where hopefully you will meet someone you recognize. Maybe it will help if you start by telling me your mother's name."

"I always call her mother, but I've heard others call her Faline," Geno said.

Ronno stopped for a moment, but sill looked forward. A rush of memories of Bambi flooded his mind, but maybe he just didn't hear Geno correctly. "Who's your father," he asked.

"Huh, don't you know? Everyone knows that… he's the Great Prince."

"We must hurry now," Ronno said. Ronno started picking up the pace and was being less careful about making noises. He had to get back to the herd quickly in order to hide Geno from Cerberus. He knew that if Cerberus catches Geno, they will do unspeakable things to him.

Ronno use to be in Cerberus and was Maddox's second in command. He betrayed Cerberus during a revolt a winter ago. The revolt failed as Cerberus was able to repel the rebellion. Cerberus then hunted down anyone who was a part of the revolt and killed them without question. Ronno managed to escape with a small group of deer called "The Resistance," and have remained in hiding. Ronno knows all of Cerberus's tactics and secrets, and uses them to liberate other deer in Cerberus's herd and brings them back to his hideout.

Ronno and Geno finally made it to the hideout. The hideout consisted of very dense trees, bushes, and thickets in order to hide the deer that resided in it. There are sentries, both stag and doe, that patrol the perimeter to warn the others of any possible threats. Once inside the thicket, Geno met a doe named Shona. She was young and very pretty despite having a few scars on her body.

"Geno, I would like you to meet my daughter," Ronno announced.

"Please to meet you ma'am," Geno said.

"Pleasure to meet you too young one," Shona said. She then turned to Ronno.

"Were you able to find any good grass?"

"Yes I did, but Geno is my greatest discovery, he is Bambi's son,"

"Is that so," Shona said looking at Geno.

Geno was able to get a glimpse of all the deer that were in hiding. He saw deer that were old, that were young, that were sick, that were injured and walked on a limp. They all had one thing in common though, they all looked desperate, afraid, and lonely. Nobody smiled or where cheerful; they were all sad and miserable. None of the children played; most of them were orphans. It seemed like everyone's favorite activity was weeping over the loss of their loved ones. They were hungry, they were tired, they didn't move around much in order to conserve energy, and each of them could tell you a sad story. "This is no way to live," Geno though to himself. "When will I be able to go home?" Geno asked both Ronno and Shona together.

"Oh dear," Shona said looking away disappointed.

Ronno looked at Geno for a moment and said "I'm afraid that's not possible Geno. You see, you are really far inside the south forest…"

"But I have to get back. I can't live here. I don't belong here," Geno exclaimed.

"Believe me Geno if there was a way we all wouldn't be here right now," Ronno said. "I mean look at us; nobody belongs here. I'm sorry Geno, there's nothing we can do for you except try to keep you safe from predators and enemies."

"My father will come and he'll free us all," Geno said.

Ronno looked at him with much guilt in his face. "I really wish that was true Geno, but your father would have to bring the most boldest, strongest, and downright craziest deer in the entire forest to even think about coming down here to rescue you."


	6. Chapter 6

"Chief Blaze, report," Supreme Chief Clo commanded as Blaze entered into his clearing on top of the hill in the Nemesis forest. "Were you able to find our informant?"

"We found him alright sir, he's dead." Blaze said. Clo looked on disappointed, but continued to listen. "I'm pretty sure he was killed by that Cerberus group we located earlier, but that's not the only thing we found."

"Alright Blaze you caught my attention go on," Clo said.

"We found our other two informants River and Raid," Blaze said. River and Rain were waiting outside the clearing for their names to be called by Blaze. They entered into the small glade and stood in front of Clo once they did. River is another stag informant while Rain is a doe.

"Well what can you two tell me," Clo commanded.

"Rain and I were going to meet with Raven at the rendezvous point so he could relay the information to us," River explained. "But, he never made it. Instead a group of Malachi's stags showed up. We tried running away, but they were able to catch up with us. They surrounded us and that's when Malachi showed up."

* * *

"Why is it in your best interest for you Nemesis deer to interfere with my operations?" Malachi asked both River and Rain. Malachi is a small and old buck, but it doesn't matter when he has his guards who are bigger and younger to protect him. His voice was soft, and each word he spoke sounded as sinister as the next. River and Rain didn't answer back; they continued to glare at Malachi as he circled around them. "I know who you are and who you work for. You been feeding our enemies information for a very long time and it's going to stop right now. I don't know why you Nemesis are pursuing me. I'm not a bad deer, I'm a happy deer, you see? Soon Cerberus will be the new order for the entire forest. Why fight it?" Malachi starred into Rain's eyes for a moment. "I like the eyes on this one; so vibrant. She will produce excellent offspring."

"Leave her out of this; she had nothing to do with it!" River interrupted.

Malachi looked at River for a moment and smiled. "I like you too. So young, so fresh, so resilient. Yes, you two would make fine additions to my herd, and if you refuse we will kill you. It's that simple."

"We rather die than join you scum!" Rain exclaimed.

"Such vulgarity!" Malachi yelled. "Do something about this boys."

One of Malachi's stags approached Rain and viciously knocked her over. River yelled at them demanding that they leave her alone. "You are in no position whatsoever to be giving me orders," Malachi told River. He approached Rain slowly and looked down at her. "Soon child, you will learn some manners." Malachi then looked at River and said "and you will soon know your place in the pecking order, or I will make you wish you were never born."

Suddenly one of Malachi's guards shouted "we're under attack!" He was knocked to the ground by some creature before he could finish his message to the others. Soon six more entities appeared and attacked the remaining guards. Malachi took off like a shot, but he was quickly pursued by a couple of the green beasts.

Once all the guards were subdued, one of the creatures marched towards River and Rain. As it came closer they could see that it took on the form of a deer. He had antlers, but his entire body was covered in mud and leaves. His appearance was strange and frightening. "Don't be afraid. I'm Chief Blaze from Nemesis here to help. Are you okay? Do you need assistance?"

"No Chief," River said after taking a breath in relief. "We just want to get the hell out of this forest."

"Don't worry, we will escort you out of here soon," Blaze said. The two stags that were pursing Malachi returned. It was Master Harte and Specialist Amos. Blaze was curious about one thing and one thing only. "Where is Malachi?" he demanded.

"He's over there Chief," Harte said using his noise to point out the direction. "The idiot fell off a rock and broke his leg. I have Dax and Raz guarding him now."

"Good! Bruno, Lake, and Amos you stay here and protect the hostages while Harte and I have a chat with our new friend," Blaze said. Blaze and Harte reunited with Raz and Dax who were standing guard over Malachi. Malachi's leg was oozing blood on the ground; it was severely broken. Blaze didn't hesitate one moment to start interrogating him. "Where is he Malachi?" Blaze shouted. "Bear in mind that I'm in no mood to play games here!"

Malachi looked up at Blaze and laughed. "You have nothing to threaten me with so I'm not talking. You're just going to have to kill me Nemesis bastard."

"That leg looks pretty painful," Master Harte pointed out. Blaze agreed and stepped on Malachi's injured leg with all of his weight. Malachi screamed out in pain. His screams could be heard from a mile away.

"I don't know where he is!" Malachi shouted in agony. "I never knew. There is only one deer maybe two in the entire forest who knows."

"You're talking about Nero. Where may we be able to find him? If you tell us I will spare you from more agony," Blaze said.

"You mean to go after him?" Malachi asked.

"I'm asking the damn questions around here! Now where is he?" Blaze shouted.

"He's somewhere in the central forest. That's all I know." Malachi said after taking in a few agonizing breaths. "Good luck capturing him, he's better protected than the Great Prince himself."

"Yeah, and he's going to need it." Blaze said. "Why is Cerberus in the central forest? If you answer in a manner that I find satisfactory we will leave you to die in peace."

"I don't know. I just give them fawns from my herd. I don't ask questions about their plans." Blaze put more pressure on Malachi's leg causing him to scream out in pain again. "Alright! Alright! I overheard them saying something about starting a new order. They could be planning an invasion. I'm not sure. Please, if you have any decency, kill me now and rid me of my pain."

Blaze turned away from Malachi and started marching back towards the hostages. Harte walked beside him and asked "what are we going to do with him Chief?"

"Let him bleed out or let the cougar have him," Blaze said. Harte acknowledged, and ordered Dax and Raz to leave Malachi alone.

* * *

"So Malachi is dead or soon will be?" Clo asked Blaze.

"Absolutely sir, even if he is still alive he has given us the information that we need," Blaze responded.

Clo then looked at Rain and River. "Your identities have been compromised which means we no longer require your services. Please leave." Clo said. River and Rain nodded their heads and walked out of the clearing. "Is there anything else you can tell me Blaze?"

"Yes sir there is. Before we rescued River and Rain we tracked down a small Cerberus group who was in pursuit of a doe and her two fawns. We managed to save the fawns, but we could not help the doe."

"So I have you and your team to thank for causing the ruckus in the meadow this morning?" Clo said smiling. Blaze, however, looked confused about the remark. "Two fawns who go by Nello and Membo from the southern forest stumbled upon the meadow this morning. Surely, you and I are talking about the same pair of children."

"I believe so sir, but that's not all I have to tell you," Blaze said. Clo was taken in by surprise. "We also found a group of four Monarch stags; I believe they were from the Elite Guards."

"Yes, and what were they doing?"

"I don't know sir; they were all dead when we found them. It looked like they were ambushed by Cerberus," Blaze said. "The Great Prince wouldn't have had them go out there unless they were looking for something or someone of great importance."

"Agreed, so we need to find out what they were looking for to unravel that mystery," Clo said.

"I believe I know the answer to that," a voice from above declared. Clo and Blazed looked up at the trees and recognized a bald eagle perching on a high branch.

"Ah, Cornelius, you have some information for us do you?" Clo asked.

"Indeed sir, earlier this morning a fawn fell into the river and was carried down all the way to grey territory. Did I mention that this fawn is Geno, the Great Prince's son?"

"Do you have his exact location? Is he alive?"

"Not exact, but I can give you his approximate vicinity. He is alive, but he is in great danger I can only imagine. I'll have Meryl give you an update when she comes back."

Clo looked at Blaze. "Okay, so Bambi's son gets lost in grey territory. Bambi sends four of his best to go look for him. They don't even make it half way through the central forest before getting whacked by Cerberus who is trying to cover up an invasion plot… What do you think Blaze?"

"I'm thinking you should send me and my guys out to find the young prince, bring him back, and in doing so we need to figure out what Cerberus is really up to. What troubles me though sir is that Cerberus is also going to be curious as to why there were Elite Guards in the central forest. So we don't have much time."

"Yes, and with Malachi out they might pounce on us even sooner. Alright Blaze, here's the deal, I'll go summon Bambi here. You get your team ready to meet us at the Tree of Honor glade, and we'll take it from there booyah?"


	7. Chapter 7

Supreme Chief Clo made his way to the path that would lead him up Big Rock which is where he would find Bambi. However, he was greeted by a snooty Monarch guard. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you up here sir, the Great Prince is very busy and doesn't want to be disturbed," he said, but Clo was not impressed at all.

"Son, you sure as _Hell_ better let me up there unless you know exactly who you're dealing with," Clo sternly whispered to him. "Otherwise you will leave me with no choice, but to dispatch you with extreme hostility. Is that understood?" Clo and the guard starred at each other for a moment, but the guard became nervous when he saw Clo's mark on his neck.

"Oh, my apologies sir, I didn't realize you were a Nemesis," the guard said in a broken voice.

"Not just any Nemesis, I am the leader. Now are you going to be good and let me pass?"

"Yes sir, right this way…" the guard said moving away to allow Clo access.

"Twit…" Clo said under his breath as he passed by the guard. Clo made his way up the hill which was swarming with Bambi's Elite Guards. He overheard a pair talking about Bambi's son being lost in the south forest, and another pair talking about Nello and Membo. However, once Clo stood in the center of the glade it became eerily quiet. All of the Elite Guard members stood and starred at Clo. They knew exactly who he was, and respected him greatly. Soon afterwards Bambi walked onto the glade. He found it odd that everyone stopped talking, and wanted to investigate.

"Supreme Chief Clo, so glad that you can join us," Bambi said.

"Bambi, it's been a long time since our last meeting. Glad to see you're still alive," Clo said with a smirk.

"Oh yes, as you can see I'm quite alive, but very busy. Please, follow me, I assume you have some important news you want to share with me in private," Bambi said. Clo followed him into his private glade which is the very top of Big Rock that allows a birds-eye view of the entire northern meadow. When they stopped, Clo looked around admiring the scenery.

"It's been a while since I stood up here," Clo said. He then looked at Bambi. "You know I never had a chance to tell you how sorry I am about your father. We too have suffered a great loss as well. Supreme Chief Ambrose; I believe you still remember him."

"How could I forget," Bambi said. "I remember it was you, him, and other Nemesis stags that rescued me and my father so long ago. I am assuming you already knew what happened to Geno otherwise you wouldn't be here right now. I sent in a few of my guards to go in and find him but…"

"They're all dead," Clo interrupted. Bambi was shocked to hear the news. "My special operations team found them in the central forest. They looked like they were ambushed by Cerberus." A rush of guilt filled Bambi.

"I sent them to their deaths. I was naïve. I should have known better," Bambi said softly.

"It gets worse," Clo said sharply. Bambi's attention grew. "We have some indication that Cerberus might be preparing for an invasion that will take place soon. However, we can't confirm that right now. I was going to have my team go in, find your son, and extract any other information about it."

"What if Geno is already dead?" Bambi asked.

"He is not, and if you follow me back to the Nemesis forest we can give you an update to his location and situation."

"Do you know where he is now?"

Clo let out a heavy sigh and said "he's well inside grey territory; not far from Cerberus's forest. We are wasting time talking about it. Come, follow me." Clo turned around and started heading down the path with Bambi following him.

An Elite Guard caught a glimpse of Bambi and asked "sir, where are you going? We are going to need you here."

"I have to follow Supreme Chief Clo," Bambi replied. "He knows where my son is. I will come back soon with news and hopefully a strategy."

"A strategy? A strategy for what sir?"

"I will explain when I come back, for now stay vigilant for anything unusual," Bambi commanded.

Clo led Bambi to the Nemesis forest by walking through the trees so they would not be seen by the deer on the meadow. When they reached the boarder of the Nemesis forest; two guards were standing on the trail. They greeted Bambi and Clo as they walked pass. Bambi was impressed with how well disciplined they were unlike the Monarch guards who talk to everyone in an unprofessional way. Finally, they walked onto a glade where a giant willow tree stood. It was a beautiful place with a small stream and flowers everywhere. Bambi then noticed the seven stags that were standing still and rigid in front of him. One stag, the leader, was standing front and center of the remaining six stags behind him. They were lined up straight. Their eyes continued to look forward as if they didn't notice Bambi or Clo in front of them. "This is true discipline," Bambi thought to himself. Clo stopped, faced Bambi, and smiled.

"Bambi this is Chief Blaze," Clo said turning his head towards the lead stag. "You might remember him. He was with us that day when we rescued you and your father. He is the commander of our special operations team called The Silent Willows; the team of stags that stand before you now, here to help you again. From your right to left we have: Specialist Raz, Specialist Lake, Specialist Amos, Specialist Dax, Master Bruno, and Master Harte. The two bald eagles above them are named Cornelius and Meryl." Bambi didn't notice the two great birds of prey perching on the branches above. "They are our eyes in the sky, if you will. They can see danger from very long distances and give us any information we need."

"How do you all do?" Bambi asked, but the Silent Willows and the eagles continued to look forward.

"Blaze, your team can relax we're about to conduct the brief," Clo said. Blaze acknowledged, turned around, and ordered The Silent Willows to stop standing so uncomfortably. "Meryl, do you have an update for us on the whereabouts of Bambi's son Geno?" Clo asked.

"He's alive, and he is safe. He is with Falcon and the Resistance Fighters," Meryl said.

Bambi was shocked. "How do you know all of this? Who is Falcon, and who are the Resistance Fighters," he asked.

"Falcon is a code name for Ronno; Cerberus's ex-second in command," Clo said. Bambi was shocked again. Being Bambi's rival, if Ronno figured out who Geno was, he could kill him. "Do you know him?"

"Yes, we're enemies. If Ronno figures out who Geno truly is, he will kill him I'm sure," Bambi said.

"If I may sir," Blaze interrupted. Clo gave him permission to continue speaking. "Last winter, Ronno lead a group of deer to overthrow Maddox." Chills ran down Bambi's back when he heard that name, but he wasn't the only one to get chills. "The coup failed; I guess Ronno trusted the wrong deer, and they figured out what he was up to before he could make his move. He did, however, manage to escape the Cerberus forest and is now hiding somewhere deep inside grey territory with his so-called Resistance Fighters. They go in and try to rescue the other deer that are still trapped inside of the Cerberus forest."

"Most of those deer are from here, the north forest, but are prisoners of Cerberus," Clo said. "Liberating those deer is not an easy task. We tried to go in before, but suffer great casualties."

"Ronno and Nero were the only two deer that knew of Maddox's whereabouts, but I'm sure Maddox has moved since the botched coup attempt," Blaze said. "So now Nero is the only one who knows where Maddox is hiding."

"Yes, and getting him is no easy task as well," Clo said. "He is surrounded by many battle-hardened elite Cerberus guards; they're probably the same ones who ambushed your guards Bambi."

"Wait, I'm confused. Why did Madd… why did He go into hiding in the first place," Bambi asked.

Clo and Blaze looked at each other for a moment then Clo turned his head towards Bambi again and said "We ah… tried to assassinate him two falls ago; before the Great Fire, but just like the forest, the operation went to Hell. We underestimated their capabilities. You have to remember Bambi that Maddox was one of the co-founders of Nemesis before he betrayed us and was banished. So he knows some of our tactics and secrets."

Bambi stood quietly letting everything he heard soak in for a moment before speaking again. "And Nero is in the central forest now?" Bambi asked

"Yes," Clo said "Which tells us that Cerberus is either hiding something they don't want us to see or they're planning something big. We don't know for sure what that is because our informants either end up getting captured or killed. Bambi we have to find your son. We have to get him out of there. If Cerberus finds out who he is… I was hoping you can come along on this mission." Blaze was shocked when he heard the suggestion. "No offense Blaze, but you and your team are the scariest creatures in the forest. We'll need Bambi to positively identify his son anyways. You are to ensure his safety and his son's at any cost. You are also to rendezvous with Friend, and confirm what Cerberus is up to. After you do that you will then go to the primary insertion point and enter grey territory. Get any useful information that you can, but remember extracting Geno out of there alive is of highest importance. Any questions?"

"What will be the plan if Cerberus does decide to invade?" Blaze asked.

"The Monarchs will be able to help you out Clo," Bambi said.

"Yes, and I'll have Chief Beorn and his stags on stand-by. I'll have Chief Thorburn go out in case you need any help Blaze," Clo said. "You are going to have to use a lot of stealth on this one. We don't want anybody or anything detecting your presents. Do not engage anyone unless the mission is in danger of being compromised. Get yourself and your team ready to go out just after dusk."

"Yes sir we'll get it done!" Blaze said. Blaze turned around approached his team, and they all left the clearing.

"I need to get back to Big Rock," Bambi whispered to Clo. "I have to let the Elite Guards know of the plan just in case anything should happen, and I should at least tell Faline what happened to her son."

Clo shook his head. "I can't allow that Bambi for security sake. We don't want anyone else to know what happened to Geno. We don't know whose watching or listening."

"Have you ever been a parent Clo?" Bambi asked. Clo never had the chance to bear offspring. "Then you must understand why I have to let Faline know. She's good at keeping secrets I can assure you that."

"Alright, I don't understand about being a parent so out of my best judgment I will allow it, but you must return here before dusk. Do not tell anyone else who's helping you or what you are doing."

"I understand, I will return soon. Thank you," Bambi said. He then turned around and left the glade.


	8. Chapter 8

After the briefing the Silent Willows arrived to a glade inside the Nemesis forest to graze on the grass and to prepare for their next mission. However, some of them didn't feel that the mission was well justified.

"So… all seven of us have to risk our lives for one kid?" Raz asked everyone including Chief Blaze. "I know it's the Great Prince's son and all, but still he's as good as dead. And quite frankly Chief if we go in that hellacious forest we're as good as dead too."

"He's right Chief," Dax added. "There could be a hundred of our deer trapped in that damned forest and we have never been able to get them out no matter how much stealth or tactics we use. Also bringing the Great Prince with us is a huge mistake. He doesn't have our training or knowledge; he will put the mission at serious risk."

"Yes, and we could have a bigger problem on our heads than a lost child," Lake said. "Unfortunate that it happened, but the Supreme Chief cannot seriously think we will be able to rescue him and then stop an invasion at the same time."

"Listen to me guys," Blaze said. "I know this is going to suck, but it's our job. We all took an oath to protect all the deer in the forest against all enemies. So far there has never been a mission that we didn't complete successfully, and I'm well aware that some of those successes came at great cost. I'm sure the Great Prince can hold his own and not get in our way. If Cerberus were to capture Geno they can walk right over us and take over the forest; we would live as slaves. We cannot let that happen; we were meant to live free. Some of you are too young to remember what Cerberus did to us so you don't understand what it's like to be a hostage under these fiends."

"What about our brothers Chief?" Raz asked. "When an invasion does happen, are we to abandon them and leave them to die?"

"You have all been trained by Chief Beorn, and some of you had the privilege to serve with him," Blaze said. "Some of you have been under the command of Chief Thorburn, so you know how hearty they are; they will hold their own. This is no longer up for debate guys. If any of you want to leave now then do it and rid us of your gripping. There is no room for cowards and naysayers in the Silent Willows. We have our orders, and we are going to execute those orders professionally and with a sense of urgency. Get some chow, sharpen those antlers and hooves, and get ready."

* * *

Deep in the north forest Bambi arrived to a thicket where Faline and the children lived just before dusk. Gurri, Membo, and Nello were fast asleep, but not Faline. She was still wide awake; worried about Geno and what had become of him. Bambi gently whispered to her to gain her attention. Once Bambi whispered loud enough, Faline turn her head to investigate and caught a glimpse of him. She was excited to see him, but very careful not to wake the children when she stood up to walk over to Bambi. "I imagine you have heard the news about Geno," Faline said.

"Yes, but I'm here to tell you that he is alive and he is okay," Bambi said. Faline grew very joyful and relived until Bambi spoke again. "However, he is lost deep inside the south forest." Faline became worried again because she knows what it meant for her son to be lost in the south forest. Bambi tried his best to ease her worries, but he only made her even more anxious. "I'm going to go in after him and rescue him."

Faline was taken in by surprise and asked "You, all by yourself are going to rescue him?"

"Me? All by myself?" Bambi said. "Of course not I have recruited some help and we're leaving at the end of dusk. So, I can't linger her any longer to explain to you what happened, but we will do our best to bring him back."

"Who's helping you? And what if you fail Bambi? What then? What are we suppose to do?" Faline asked. Bambi could sense that she was becoming upset.

"I wish I could tell you Faline, but I can't. You have to trust me and not worry so much. We will figure something out no matter what happens." Bambi paused for a moment, but Faline was totally speechless. "I must leave now. I'm sorry we had to meet again under these circumstances. When this ordeal is over with I'll try to spend more time with you and the children. I believe things can come back to the way they were. We just have to work at it. Goodbye my love." Bambi turned around and headed west to speak with the Elite Guards at Big Rock. Faline didn't say anything back. Her mind was occupied with much worry and sorrow.

* * *

Dusk finally set in when Bambi returned to the Nemesis forest and was standing in front of the Great Willow Tree. He advised the Elite Guards of the possible invasion that Cerberus was planning and what to do if he failed to rescue Geno. Bambi continued to look at the tree studying the marks on it when Blaze entered the glade with him.

"What do these markings represent on the tree?" Bambi asked.

"Anyone from Nemesis who commits a great act of valor is given the right to make their mark on this tree. The rocks below it are for those who are given this honor posthumously. It is how we honor our heroes. We call it the Great Tree of Honor"

"Blaze, I will do my best to pull my weight and not get into your way," Bambi said.

"You'll be just fine, don't worry about it."

"Could you perhaps tell me more about the Silent Willows?" Bambi asked.

"Yes, we have time. Specialist Raz, our youngest member, is a trap and snare expert. He can see a trap from long distances, but he also knows how to neutralize them so nobody can get caught. It is a skill that he learned from his father Supreme Chief Ambrose. His brother Lucus was a Monarch before he disappeared. Do you know him?"

"I know Ambrose, but Lucus I'm afraid I never been formally introduced to him." Bambi said. "I leave the recruiting, and training to the Elite Guards. So I don't know every Monarch that comes across my path. Many Monarchs have either died or disappeared throughout the seasons."

Blaze could tell that Bambi was feeling guilty. "We have also suffered great losses, but losing good stags are a part of being a leader. I feel just as guilty as you, but as long as we do what we set out to do their sacrifice was not in vain." Bambi agreed and told Blaze to continue telling him about the Silent Willows.

"Specialist Lake, who joined the team last fall, is our navigational expert. We can be in the thickest and darkest forest and he would still be able to tell us where we are and where to go.

Specialist Amos and Dax are our combat experts. To make things short I much rather be eaten alive by a bear then get into a fight with those two. They can bring an enemy down in a heartbeat.

Master Bruno, our only mule deer on the team, is our survival expert. If someone gets wounded he will find a way to keep them alive.

Master Harte is our stealth expert. He can get within nose length of you and you would never know he was there."

"And what about you Blaze?" Bambi asked with much curiosity.

"When Ambrose died Clo was appointed Supreme Chief and I was appointed Chief of the Willows and have been ever since."

"I don't mean to reopen old wounds, but how did Ambrose die?" Bambi asked. "I've been told you were with him at the moment of his death."

"That's a secret I've kept for a very long time," Blaze said. "I haven't even told Clo or Raz about it yet, and I'm sorry I'm not going to start telling now. We have a mission to do here soon."

"I understand," Bambi whispered.

"Chief Blaze, is the team ready yet?" Supreme Chief Clo asked as he entered the clearing. Blaze acknowledged. "Good! Could you show Bambi what he has to do? Bambi, I hope you don't mind getting dirty."

Blaze led Bambi into a glade where a shallow mud pit was. The other Willows were there sharpening their antlers and their hooves on giant rocks.

"Go ahead and jump in there Bambi, make sure you cover your face and everything." Blaze said. Bambi hopped into the mud which came up to his chest. He looked up at Blaze with much skepticism.

"What is the point of this?" Bambi asked.

"It will help you stay unseen and unscented, so make sure you are totally covered in it." Blaze said.

"Alright Willows, gather around me," Blaze commanded. The six stags stopped what they were doing and walked over to Blaze to hear about the mission.

"Was everyone able to get chow?"

"Boo-yah," they all shouted.

"Alright, listen up. We will infiltrate the southern forest through the western insertion point sticking to the trees and bushes for cover. There, we will meet our informant to get an idea of what we are heading into and hopefully figure out what Cerberus is up to. We don't want to get too close to the river due to the rise in predator activity. We will then make our way south to the objective's last known location which is somewhere near the southern bog. We will not engage anyone unless I say it's necessary or the mission is in danger of being compromised. Once we arrive it is up to the Great Prince to positively identify the objective and we are to ensure their safety at any cost. Meryl and Cornelius will provide overwatch and any useful information. Once we have the objective we will make our way back up to the north forest. Our contingency is to run like Hell through the southern meadow and push our way out of the central forest if we our found out. Are there any questions, concerns, or gripes?"

"No, Chief," they all said.

"Guys, this will be our most difficult and dangerous mission yet," Blaze said. "If you don't want to be a part of it, leave now and you will not be dubbed a coward. Just like with any other mission, I can't promise you that you will come back alive. What I can promise you is that I will be the first to enter that damned forest, and I will be the last to leave. We are not flesh and blood brothers, but we are brothers in a sense that we all watch each other's tails and take care of one another. You have your orders, now let's get ready!"

All of the other Silent Willows including Blaze jumped in and started rolling in the mud which smelled pretty foul. Each stag covered their entire body including their face with mud. Long ago it was discovered that the mud will mask their sent from predators and enemies. Once everyone was covered in mud they left the pit and started rolling around in grass and leaves. A stag would bit off leaves from a willow tree while another stood underneath it allowing the leaves to fall onto his back and neck. All of the stags including Bambi were draped in these willow tree leaves.

"The leaves conceal us even better by making us not look like deer at all. Some often refer to us as living trees or walking bushes and so we are also called 'Bush-Deer.'" Blaze explained to Bambi who looked very puzzled. Nightfall was upon them when Supreme Chief Clo entered into the area.

"Well, look at you guys, looking all sharp. Bambi, I must say that is a good look for you my friend." They all laughed, it was good levity for them. "Alright, let's get serious now. Mainly, we patrol the central forest which is not a big deal for you all, but make no mistake, once you enter into grey territory you will be in an entirely hostile area. There are predators, man and his traps, and of course those thorn-in-our-side Cerberus bastards. We have been seeing an increase in Cerberus activity lately especially in the central forest which is unusual. If you can get any information on why that is that would be great, but your primary focus is to get Bambi's son out of there alive and back to the safety of his home. Blaze, take command of your team and proceed with the mission. Good luck Bush-Deer!"

"Boo-yah, sir," Blaze said. He turned around to face the rest of the team. "Alright, Willows, you heard him and you know the drill. I want a smooth and professional operation. We are a team and there is nothing to worry about. We will go out there and we are going to take some. Is that understood?" Blaze shouted.

"Boo-yah!" the Silent Willows roared as they anxiously awaited Blaze to give the command "Let's move it out!"

Bambi and the Silent Willows charged out of the Nemesis Forest onto the meadow. Most of the animals have bedded down for the night so nobody saw them as they ran into the central forest to the primary insertion point. They followed a path that was thick with trees and bushes that provided excellent cover for them.

Once they entered the central forest they slowed their pace down to a walk. Blaze ordered them to halt. They all stopped and took cover behind the bushes and trees. Raz was in front of the group while Blaze was behind it with Bambi at his side. They all looked around silently for a moment in order to get a feel for their surroundings and to get their bearing. They were careful to move their heads around slowly making it difficult for anyone who might be in the area to spot them. Cornelius and Meryl were flying over their heads scanning the forest with their eyes for any possible threats. Cornelius landed on a branch and gave a signal to Blaze with his wing indicating that the area was clear. Blaze then emerged from his hiding spot and stood next to Lake then whispered "do you have a bearing?"

"Yes Chief, we need to go about 500 lengths to the southwest towards them hills," Lake responded softly. The Silent Willows use the term length which is their unit of measure for distance. A length is measured by the distance from a deer's nose to their tail. Other animals and deer will count their steps to determine distance. A length is around five normal deer steps.

"Understood," Blaze said before he took another vigilant look around the forest. "Take us out," he told Lake. Lake stood up and started heading towards the hills to the southwest. The rest of the team followed him through the forest being as silent as possible. Bambi was thrilled with excitement. Never has he done this before and he was very impressed by the Silent Willow's skills. He was also nervous. He didn't want to step on a twig or loose leaves that would alarm others to their presents, but his father's lessons on how to move quietly through the forest were paying off.


End file.
